Don't Grow Up
by Fauntleroy and Walter
Summary: After having an embarrassing problem with his dad, Ferb locked himself in his room. It was up to the British father to console him... Oneshot


Ferb Fletcher was online, with his headphones on and playing the game he usually played with Baljeet and Buford. It was exceptionally wonderful Sunday. The wind wasn't blowing too hard. The sun was shining, spreading a little warmth to Danville in the breezy mid-autumn. Every inch of the sidewalk was covered with reddish leaves. Golden piles of leaves were also formed in backyards and parks, with some little kids in thick jacket jumping up and down on those piles.

Ferb usually liked to play with the leaves on autumn, it was his favorite season. He had a plan to take a stroll along the sidewalk today, enjoying the breeze and the fascinating scenery. But, he was stuck at home instead, literally. Well, not really, he could go out anytime he wanted, but he was in a really terrible argument with his biological father, Lawrence Fletcher. But actually, nothing really serious, it wasn't anything like a teenager and parents disagreement, it was only, really embarrassing.

Let's just say it involved Ferb, a blanket, a Teddy Bear Ferb had since he was a little boy, and a camera. Ferb was up all night watching a rerun of a horror show he missed. Apparently, no one wanted to accompany him. Phineas was in his friend's house, so his only choice was to pull out a Teddy Bear from a box under his bed. But he dozed off after a movie ended, snuggling to his companion. Linda who woke up early thought that it was really cute told Lawrence to take out the camera and his British father took a picture of him sleeping.

Unfortunately, the father forgot to turn off the flash so the green-haired boy was alarmed with the light. He suddenly woke up and noticed that his father had taken a picture of him and his Teddy Bear. His parents only chuckled while Ferb face reddened and the British boy dashed upstairs without saying another word. He ran to the room he shared with his stepbrother and luckily, Phineas wasn't home yet so he could wallow in his privacy. He took a key, locked it and pulled the key away. He cowered down, arms hugging his leg and the door supporting his back. His face was as red as ripe tomato and his eyes were covered with tears. The British kid mumbled a curse. He was beyond angry at his own father, so he decided to wait until his father knocked the door, ask for forgiveness, and delete the picture.

So far, the plan 'I need to make my dad feel bad' wasn't going exactly as planned. It was only 9 and there wasn't any interaction from his dad. His stomach growled. He already skipped breakfast, but, coming downstairs to grab some toast really meant that he lost the fight. He was already bored with his video game and there was nothing else to do, Phineas wasn't here to soothe him, no one was available to chat online, they probably were enjoying the weather outdoors. Ferb groaned, and decided to continue playing his game.

Lawrence Fletcher climbed up the stairs, with a tray of waffles and orange juice. He knew that his son was really embarrassed and mad and probably he locked himself. So he took a spare key with him.

Little less known, the father successfully entered the room without being noticed by Ferb, He was too mesmerized with his game, the green-haired fourteen-year-old didn't notice when Lawrence set up the tray of food on Ferb's purple bed. Lawrence stood up right behind his son who was clicking furiously, he sighed at the mindless game, but he was relieved that Ferb didn't open smutty website and touch himself at his past time. Lawrence stood there for another minute until he knew that he won't get any attention just by standing behind his boy. He decided to unplug the headphones jack from the CPU.

"Hey what the f—

Ferb turned his swivel chair around and looked at his father that was grinning playfully. He was really surprised; he thought that he locked the room. "What the heck dad, how can you get in?"

"I got spare keys…" Ferb slapped himself in his head, and Lawrence laughed at how clumsy his son always was.

"Whatever dad, I was playing!" Ferb turned his chair and returned to his game. But Lawrence held his chair and pulled him back.

"Breakfast first, game later."

"Fine…" the green-haired boy sighed and noticed a tray of waffles was on his bed. He stood up and sat on his bed, his father pulled the office chair and seated himself and looked directly at his only biological son.

"Do you mind? I was trying to eat here…" Ferb forked a mouthful of waffles, which was really hard with Lawrence looking at him.

"Why do you lock yourself in your room?" Lawrence inquired with his soft British accent; he looked so sternly at his son, and felt like he was talking to a mirror, except for the hair part, it was from her mother. His cracked voice was just as close to his old man. Despite that Ferb was a head shorter than his dad, and he might grow later, Lawrence always think that he was the carbon copy of him.

"Why do you care?" Ferb tried to be sarcastic, but the father didn't take it by heart. He thought that Ferb was only trying to take his attention as being a relatively cranky teenager in his transition age. No matter how hard Ferb tried to be sarcastic, he won't hate his father.

"Cause, you're my son Ferb," the father wallowed. "It was actually my fault that you felt embarrassed. So… sorry." The father lowered his head, and Ferb continued chewing.

"Yeah, you think a _sorry_ going to be enough," Ferb swallowed his remaining food. "A sorry and a cone of ice cream won't work!"

"Well, let's drive to the parlor and get yourself a double scoop," Lawrence stated cheerfully. "Like when you were four, you always won't be able to finish it—

"Stop it dad, you always treat me like a kid!" the boy groaned loudly, but the father didn't even flinch. Ferb closed his mouth with his hands, realizing that he already raise his tone to his father. "I'm so sorry, dad, I don't mean to yell at you. Ferb set down his food and lowered his dad, "Actually, I am acting like a little kid am I? Locking myself, being mad at you…"

"Because you'll always be my little kid, Ferb," Lawrence spoke silently, as if it was a whisper. It was nothing compared to his son's yell, Lawrence was always a softie. Ferb's heart was touched hearing this, his eyes stated to produce crystal clear tears, even after Ferb yelled at him, Lawrence didn't raise his tone. Ferb understood that his act was really childish, but Lawrence didn't even complain about him nor he was mad at the boy, as if Ferb still got that innocence of a child. "Even if you're out from this place and start a family, you'll always be my little boy." The British father added.

"That's the problem, I'm fourteen, and I didn't want to be treated as a kid." Ferb sobbed with his cracked, eight-year-old voice. Lawrence sighed, his son's voice still cracked, and he's still crying, he didn't change from his child self, he was still a kid.

"I know lad, you're growing up. I feared that maybe tomorrow you'll start drifting off from me, hanging out with friends, drinking beer and smoking…"

"Wait what?" the green haired boy stated, "I won't do any of that…"

Lawrence took off from his seat and sat next to the boy, "so, you won't grow up?" Lawrence asked, making Ferb a little bit confused.

"I'll grow up, no matter what, but I won't smoke, get drunk, and hanging out with bad guys," Ferb stated in his soft British accent, "but most importantly, I won't drift away from you…" Then Ferb started to cry harshly and sobbed inside his father shirt, "I still need you, sorry I'm being so childish today and sorry I yelled at you…" Lawrence s returned the hug, and patted his back. "I deserved to be treated as a kid, I'm childish, I still need company from my Teddy Bear and I still cry in your shirt—

"I'm right, you still want to be treated as a kid," Lawrence chuckled, and Ferb pinched his father back, "Ow, stop it Ferb…" Lawrence cried, as they both released the hug. Lawrence looked at his sobbing son's reddened eyes, as it was only yesterday he was a four-year-old, crying in his lap… "But I guess that a kid needed to be treated as adult once in a while right?"

Ferb didn't answer, he just raised an eyebrow.

"Okay then, if you want to be treated as an adult, you've got to prove it," Lawrence stood up and consoled, "You and me are going to the movies and watch T rated movies, then we go to the steak house and order the large cuts! Just you and me…" Ferb eyes widened, he barely got any quality time just for the two of them since Lawrence remarried, so this would be really exciting.

"Sure dad," Ferb replied softly, hiding the overloaded amount of excitement inside him.

"But, on one condition, you can't complain about this picture problem with your mother anymore…" Ferb nodded, the condition wasn't as bad as he expected. All he needed to do was to forget the picture was ever being taken. "Good, I bet you won't be able to finish those steaks…"

"I bet I can!" Ferb already obtained his spirit and stood up/

"Well then, we're going at 11," Lawrence stated. "Now, I'm going to watch TV downstairs, make sure you finish those up bring those plates down and wash it."

Ferb nodded, and then he jumped to his dad and gave him a really tight hug.

"I'll always be your little kid…"

"Just make sure you don't grow up too fast."

"I won't, dad…"


End file.
